Correlation between the habit of sleeping in a hammock and the prevalence of back pain in domestic workers: a cross-sectional study

Hammock Use and Spinal Pain in Domestic Workers

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association between sleeping surfaces (hammock versus bed) and the prevalence and topography of back pain among female domestic workers in socioeconomically vulnerable regions of northern Brazil. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 429 women aged over 30 years, residing in peripheral areas of Belém and rural towns in Pará. Data were collected through structured interviews addressing sleeping habits, presence and location of spinal pain, and treatments used. Associations between sleeping surface and pain variables were analyzed using the Chi-square test, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Back pain was reported by 87.87% of participants, predominantly in the lumbar region (29.84%). A significant association was found between sleeping surface and pain location (p = 0.004). Among bed users, 63.40% reported spinal pain, while 61.54% of hammock users reported no pain. Additionally, 50.35% of participants who experienced pain relief reported regular hammock use. Despite the high prevalence of pain, 59.58% of participants had not received any treatment. Conclusion: Sleeping in a hammock was
associated with a lower prevalence of lumbar back pain in this population. Given the limited access to high-quality mattresses, culturally rooted practices such as hammock use may serve as low-cost strategies to mitigate spinal pain in underserved communities. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore this potential protective association.